On Various Faces of Postmodernist Philosophical Thinking

DIALOGUE AND HUMANISM No. 4/1993 Stefan Morawski ON VARIOUS FACES OF POSTMODERNIST PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING 1. HOW TO DEAL WITH THE CONCEPT «POSTMODERNISM»? In the present text I wish to share my remarks primarily concerning postmodemism in its philosophical variation, yet it is unthinkable to cut oneself off from its two other — sociocultural and artistic — mutations. It is especially the sociocultural mutation that seems to me a cornerstone for the proper understanding of what the philosophical postmodernism is about. My first reflection concerns the legitimacy of the term and of the concept which —I surmise — refers one to the postmodemism as captioned by the sociologists of culture who describe the particular configuration of things and of qualities appropriate to them, that has crystallized itself in the social processes since the end of the 1970's. This reflection is, among others, imposed by these philosophers who are considered (and who consider themselves) as champions of postmodernism, for example J. F. Lyotard, U. Eco, W. Welsch; they hold that the concept of "postmodernism" is not to be literally understood: this is no successive phase in the aftermath of desiccation of modernist ways of thinking and behavior but merely a new manner of comprehending the world within the still living organism. Can the problem of the meaning of the "post-" prefix be solved — and then, how? Will it suffice to juxtapose the philosophical thought of modernists (which modernists, though? who is to be considered its typical representatives?), or is it necessary to admit the extra-philosophical frame of reference? Another reflection concerns the ancestry of this phenomenon, and its symptoms in philosophical considerations (Nota bene, it concerns both those authors who analyze postmodernism from a critical distance, as well as others who identify themselves with postmodernism). The question, "Who to start with?" is, obviously, secondary in relation to the fundamental question that is, "What are the reasons that a given concept be deemed postmodernist?"; which, among others, leads to differentiation from among the seemingly converging solutions of such which hit the bull's eye from the chosen vista. The third reflection is linked to the legitimacy of postmodernist stance, both from the point of view of 40 Stefan Morawski its internal consequences (are not the formulated assumptions and conclusions "overlap" with the way of ' ' being negated this way?), as well as from external positions to which is this most advanced societies, current actually being opposed. Finally, a half of reflection relating to the sociologists ply as the idea potential peculiarity of postmodemism in its philosophical mutation. Since the Given such theoretical latter is to be at odds with all the hitherto philosophical tradition, then it does not assume the existence of a new seem to make sense to oppose it only to modernism, or else to juxtapose it with mentioned at the beginning the artistic — and to put it in a broader perspective, with sociocultural "postmodernism", translating —mutation of our decade. Why, though, a mere half of reflection? This final one, to admit that there did emerge after all, is not totally autonomous — it can be treated as part, or completion, of and explicable in terms of the the former. all, is to be, this or another It is known that postmodernism is understood in a variety of manners, the esteemed by philosophers and exemplifications of this phenomenon being sometimes totally divergent, indeed. emerge at this juncture; the There would be no particular difficulties with this affliction — notorious within whether we ascribe to the new humanities — were its various formulations adding up, at least some of the time. mutation (post) or else if we The whole problem, though, is that the formulations are most often asunder and the previous configuration (r at each other's throats. Considering that this concept — of undoubtedly some clear concept of a theoretical character — had first been forged in the area of art criticism (or, provide an alternative. And rather, of literary criticism), and only fifteen years later did it sweep the field of formulations. In the article " philosophical thought, then the most encouraging strategy would be the Journal of Aesthetics, January application of this what the selected thinkers say of postmodernism to the — to classify than in six opp designated novelist, painting, architectural, etc., practice. The more the former overlapping. Thus a precondi would correspond to the latter, the stronger the feeling that we have hit the mark. proposed so far pertains to That, however, is not a prudent strategy. The postmodemisms in various artistic Weber's theorem being as a areas in many respects differ clearly from one another and so the common core of that within the sphere of ' ' their designates is not easy to find. In turn, even though there are certain determine what were to similarities and affinities (of the indirect, not easily graspable, nature) between modernism. After all, philosopl this area of philosophy and that area of arts, nonetheless striking is their one way or another, following asymmetry of which it will be indispensable to say more towards the end. culture), is something different Moreover, the transformations in arts cannot be an ultimate yardstick, since — which is mostly the case there necessarily and incessantly do arise doubts concerning the direct bonds of would find ourselves in a quand the artistic practice of that type with the now dominant model of mass culture. could be in a nonsensical way lii Therefore the reflections on various kinds of postmodernism (embracing also the to irrationalist tendencies of philosophical one) are to be advisably confronted—lest this concept be taken for To the two theoretical assumpt a pure contrivance — with the sociological context. This means that a certain namely the axiological and no definite type of society (with its particular scale of values) is to be accepted as the procedures. It seems that w touchstone of describing given postmodernist philosophical attitude. This initial a philosophical postmodernist theoretical assumption (better revealed than criptic, or left unresolved) relates — consciously or with dim awa the concept of postmodernism both to the historically conditioned cultural fabric The case is similar with the as well as to the research apparatus of sociologists of culture who not only do deliberately refrains from doinj analyze this new nexus but also attempt to align with it the categories so far not to formulate the intellectual rea used. To wit, the matter is not that the specific reflection on philosophy be sociologist of culture, even tho deduced modo genetico from the new sociological categories, or from the object consequences from the of research analyzed with their help, but in their functional links. That means that the philosophical thinking, which is being called postmodernist, would On Various Faces of Postmodernist Philosophy 41 "overlap" with the way of thinking and feeling dominant in the civilizationally most advanced societies, and thus give support, unwillingly, to what the sociologists ply as the idea of the culture dissimilar from the one hitherto shared. Given such theoretical assumptions it is possible — nay, commendable — to assume the existence of a new cultural mutation. Nota bene: even the thinkers mentioned at the beginning — those who question the legitimacy of the term "postmodernism", translating it instead into "transmodernism" actually have to admit that there did emerge a structure of culture which is no longer graspable and expücable in terms of the research tools applied so far. This structure, after all, is to be, this or another way opposed to the paradigm of modernity so far esteemed by philosophers and sociologists of culture. A new complication does emerge at this juncture; the one which cannot be escaped irrespectively of whether we ascribe to the new structure a character of diametrically dissimilar mutation (post) or else if we consider it a clearly different stage in relation to the previous configuration (trans-). Namely, it is inevitable to operate with some clear concept of modernism, to which post- or trans-modernism are to provide an alternative. And so we encounter a plethora of these alternative formulations. In the article "On the Subject of and in Postmodernism" (British Journal of Aesthetics, January 1992) I managed — on the basis of my reading — to classify them in six oppositions, which are clearly divergent, let alone overlapping. Thus a preconditon appending to the theoretical assumption proposed so far pertains to opting for definite position in this matter. (M. Weber's theorem being as a rule accepted as a point of departure.) Let us add that within the sphere of history of philosophy it would be no mean feat to determine what were to constitute the most proper exemplification of modernism. After all, philosophy of the era of modernism (which is conceived, one way or another, following the findings of theoreticians and chroniclers of culture), is something different from the modernist philosophy. If the latter — which is mostly the case — be identified with Lebensphilosophie, then we would find ourselves in a quandary with postmodernism which in such a context could be in a nonsensical way linked e.g. to Wienerschule as an extreme reaction to irrationalist tendencies of the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Tp the two theoretical assumptions listed above another one should be added: namely the axiological and not purely descriptive character of our research procedures. It seems that whoever is named (or who names himself) a philosophical postmodernist is to be ideologically committed, and hence is — consciously or with dim awareness — engaged in valuating postmodernism. The case is similar with the postmodern artist, yet he does not have (or deliberately refrains from doing so) to declare his blueprint for outlook, nor to formulate the intellectual reasons for his choice.

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